partz



A. P. W. PARTZ. PROCESS OF GOLLEQTINd GOLD AND SILVER PROM 0115s.

Patented June 8, 1869.

l h m: NORRIS zrzns co, Puma-mum WASHINGTON, n c,

Mini fitatrs AUGUST F.'W. PARTZ, OF OAKLAND, cALiFoRniA.

Letters Patent No. 90,955, dated June .8. 1869.

IMPROVED PROCESS OF COLLECTING GOLD. AND SIL'VEZZ FROM OREB.

The Schedule referred to in than Letters Patent and smoking part of the some.

To (all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Al'ousr F. \v. Psn'rz, or our land, in the county of Alameda, and Suite of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvcrneuts in the Electro-Metullurgieal Treatment oi Ores; and I hereby declare that the iblloiving isa lull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and apply the same, reference being had to the accompanying drhwings, forniiug port of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a verticalcross-section, and

Flgure 2, a, vertical longitudinal section, of the nppzv rot-us I employ for the treatment of ores by the aid of electricity.

During the last ten years, various attempts have been made in this country to apply electricity to the working ofcrude ores of silver and gold.

The opemtions were generally performed in .so-called amalgnrnnting-pans, or vessels of similar construction, in which the poles of galvanic batteries were placed, and the process was aided by the addition to the ore-pulp of sulphate of copper, chloride of sodium, or such other saltsas'ure commonly used in pan-amalgemstion.

The results, so far as regards the winning of the metals contained in the ores, were, in some instances, quite ihvorable, but the long time required for the operation, and the. consequent great consumption of zinc and acid, in the galvanic batteries employed for generating the electro-cnrrents, seem to have been a serious obstacle to the introduction of this mode of working ores.

In the application of electricity to the treatment of ores containing sulphurets, and'snqh other Inetallii'erous minerals as must'be decomposed befolre their constitueut elements can combine to salts'capable of forming electrolytes, from which metals may ber'educed, it is a necessary condition, for the success of the operation, that each particle of such minerals be brought in contact with the positive electrode, and kept in contact with the some, until it'is decomposed.

This requirement has been sought to be' met by'an agitation of the ore-pulp, while under theinfluence of the electro-currcnt, by means of revolving arms, stirrers, or drags, so that, all the particles to be dec0n1-.

posed might successively and repeatedly be thrown in contact with the positive electrode; but, tis this contact must necessarily be of a certain duration, suflh cient allow the intended chemical change to be effeared, and, as the employment of the means referred to insures, at best, but a. momentary contact, which had, consequently, often to be repeated, the, operation, in order to approacl'i completeness, had to, be continnod for a. length of time economically impracticable;

The nature of my invention consists in,,so placing and imparting such motion to the positive elcctrode, pole-plate, that the ore-pulp rests npczi the same,

hers, for the purpose of insulation.

and the heavier particlenof the ore, which mainly consist of 'con'ibinations to be decomposed, are caused to settle and remain in contact with the said electrode, until their decomposition has taken place; also, in em ploying metallic tubes as negative electrodes, on count of the large surihce which they afford, and the thcility with which they are removed, cleaned, and re placed, the said tubes being closed at their ends.

The acconuinnying drawings represent an apparatus well adapted to the working of argentiferous ores,'by the aid of electricity, upon the plan above stated. I will, however, be apparent that any apparatus based upon the same plan, though dilfencntly constructed, may be employed to the same effect.

with certain modifications, hereinafter mentioned, the said apparatus may also be employed in working ores of gold, copper, and other metals.

0. is a wooden vessel which forms a segment of acylinder, and is closed by the lids d d.

g and h are gudgeons, bolted to the sides of the vcssel r, by means of the flauch'es x :r, and resting in the bearings b b.

r is a crook fastened to the -gudgeon g.

Lengthwise through the gndgeon h is bored a hole just wide enough to allow the steam-pipe p to pass through it, and remain in place when the gudgeon is turned. I v

t tare pieces 0,! timber, forming the support for the bearings b b.

0 care plates of glass inserted between the said tim a a areiron rods or bolts, by which the said tim bers are firmly held together.

The holes through which these rods or bolts pass in the lower timbers, are of about twice the diameter of the rods, so that the latter may'not touch the wood, and between the. bolt-heads w w and the timbers, disks of India. rubber, i i, are inserted, also for the purpose of insulation.

To the inner periphery of the vessel 1:, asheet of copper, c is fastened, which forms the positive elec:

trode, an is, by means of a wire which passes through the side of the vessel '0, brought in metallic connection with the fla'nch a7, attaohcdto the gudgeon h.

o o are. tubes of copper or brass, the ends of which, on one side of the vessel 11, rest in holes made in the wood, while, on the other side,they rest upon the sup port 11;, which is made of copper or brass, and so shaped that the said tubes can easily be removed, and are not thrown out of place on the vessel'v being out into a. rocking motion.

By means of a wire which passes through the side of the vessel c, the support to is brought in metallic connection with the flench 2:, attached to the gudgeon g.

The tubeso 0 being placed, by the support at, in me tallic contact, form the negative electrode.

s and z are binding-screws, to each of which aspring of steel or brass is fastened, which springs rest upon the gudgeons y and h.

To the screw 2 is attached the positive, and to the screw s the' negative-pole wire of a galvanic battery, or some other generator of dynamic electricity.

By means of this apparatus, argentlferous orcs are worked as follows:

The ore, previously pulverized, is placed in the vessel 1:, together with a solution of chloride of sodium sufficient to form an easily-flowing pulp, which should occupy abont one-third of the inner space of the vessel.

To the crank oa connecting-rod is attached in the usual manner, and by it such a motion is imparted to the said crank as to bring the same alternately from forty to fifty degrees either way from its vertical position. The speed of this motion should be of from fifteen to twenty double strokes per minute.

The connection of the galvanic battery being made as above stated, the process of decomposition and reduction at once ensues.

The effect of the said motion upon the ore-pulp is such as to prevent the earthy portion of the ore from settling, while it, at the same time, facilitates the sinkthrough the said pulp of all the heavier particles of the ore, and their concentration upon the positive pole-plate 0,.where they collect in a layer, which is kept agitated just enough to insure the constant forming of new points of contact between the said particles and pole-plate.

By the electrolytic action induced in the ore-pulp, and which is aided by the application of heat introduced in the form of steam, through the pipe 1), water and chloride of sodium are decomposed, oxygen and chlorine are disengaged at the positive electrode, and ready to enter into new combinations, they effect under the influence of the electro current, the decomposition of the sulphurets andother metalliferous compounds resting upon- 'pcsitive pole' plate, while they also attack the said pole-plate, forming, with the material thereof, oxychloride of copper, which, in turn, aids in the formation of chloride of silver. The latter dissolves in the solution of chloride of sodium present, and them it metallic silver is-finally reduced, and deposited upon the negative electrode formed by the tubes 0 o.

As the silver thus reduced is apt to be deposited in a loose, flocculeut, or spongy state, the said tubes should he amalgamated with mercury, to better insure its adhesion and collection.

An addition of sulphate of copper to the ore-pulp may, under circumstances, be. advisable, but the success of theopcration does not depend on it.

The positive-pole plate 0 being dissolved in proportion nearly equivalent to the silver reduced upon the tubes 0 0, must, from time, to time, be restored. To

this end, the, remaining portion of the said pole-plate needs not tq,be removed, itbeing necessary only to. cover the spdts where the metal has disappeared with patches ot'ccgppprfastencd to the vessel 0 by means of copper nails,

The apparatus above described may also be employed for the.extraeti'on of gold from auriferous pyrites, in which'case', however, a positive electrode of iron or carbon must be substituted for that of copper. The

same change becomes necessary in the treatment oi" sulphurets and other ores of copper, in which also solid rods of copper, in place of tubes, may be used as negative electrodes.

According to the character of the oresunder treat ment, an alkaline sulphate or nitrate, or sulphate of iron, may be substituted for chloride of sodium, or used in connection therewith.

For reasons of economy, the employment of galvanic batteries is admissible only in tjhe working of ores of silver. For other ores, magneto-electric machineslor therlno-electric batteries, whenever they shall have been rendered sufficiently practicable,) must, thereibre, he used in their stead, so that in generating the electric force required, carbon may be consumed in place of zinc.

'1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Placing the positive electrode at the bottom of the vessel containing the ore-pulp, and imparting to the said vessel and electrode a swinging or shaking motion, which will cause the heavier particles of the ore to settle, and thus be brought and kept in contact with the said electrode, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The use of metallic tubes as negative electrodes, substantially as described.

AUGUST F. W. PABTZ. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

J. L. Booms, G110. H. STRONG. 

